TRAX “Recce-at-home”
Saturday 9th September 2017.
“Recce-at-home”; Day trip all the way to Hornsby.
Saturday 9th September and 17 hardy souls and 7 (plus ‘Old Lazarus) assorted 4WD vehicles braved the hazards of Sydney traffic to go to the wilds of darkest Hornsby to get to the Flower residence for our “Recce at home” trip.
Those in attendance: Matt Smith (& trusty Disco)
Shane & Kylie Beatson with Olivia, Joel & Isabel (Trusty Pajero)
Pillip & Linda Favaloro (Trusty? Patrol)
Rob & Evelyn Drummond with Lily & Kirra (Patrol)
Greg Paterson (Sometimes (t)rusty Pajero)
Neil & Jane Flower (‘Old Lazarus’ & Disco)
Roger & Judy Riley (Always trusty Defender!)
Sadly, Hugh & dagmar Rees were unable at the last minute to make it because of -traffic problems.
The aim was probably 4 fold, namely;
• To build up a database of trips that TRAX can do in the coming year,
• To learn how to make sand or mud ‘Extraction Tracks’, (that’s tracks, not TRAX by the way),
• To have a good old Aussie BBQ and have a good fellowship meal, and,
• To just have a good relaxing time together.
I think that we achieved all 4 aims!
The afternoon started with (well, after all the latecomers got there!) cutting up old 4WD tyres and abandoned milk crates (legitimately found on the tip or kerbside clean-ups), (We’ll be trying them out at our sand driving trip on the 23rd sept. (See trip report below). Then it was into the ‘eats’ and the BBQ. Oh, and I almost forgot – the Liquorice Allsorts,Chips and Cheezels by the young TRAX-er’s! They were a great favourite.
After dinner it was Video and planning time where we looked at some videos of some 2 – 4 week trips and then a discussion of, and compilation of quite a few 1 & 2 day trips. All these will be looked at by the committee and hopefully put onto the agenda of next year’s trips (and probably the year after’s trips as well.
All in all a pretty good day. See some of the action in the pics. below.
1. Making sand tracks out of old tyres…..
First start with an old 4WD tyre, one as wide
as possible, drill a 10mm hole in it just outside of the steel belt area, insert jig saw blade and start cutting. Do this at both sides of the tread, and after ab
out 10 mins you have cut away the sidewalls. Next use the angle grinder with a fine blade and make 1 cut across the tread so as to be able to make it lay flat. Then measure the length that you want it to be (1.4 metres just fits nicely across the back floor of the old Disco). Repeat process with another tyre and, hey presto, you have your sand tracks at almost no expense!
2. Making sand tracks from old milk crates….
Another and very easy (and almost no cost) method of making sand tracks (that even the children can make: See pic at left), is to use the jig saw to cut off 2 sides of old milk crates (obtained legally from the tip or Council ‘clean -ups’). Cut the sides leaving about a 25mm’ turn around’ to give strength (See bottom picture), then wire them loosely together (see top picture). These tracks can then be easily stacked inside or on top of the vehicle ready for use. The beauty of these tracks is that they weigh almost nothing and are easy to clean after use.
